Fleming sings Shéhérazade

The day before Renée Fleming sings in San Antonio (Wednesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre) her new CD Poèmes will be released in America. The first work on the CD is one that she will sing in San Antonio — a three movement work by Ravel called Shéhérazade. The BBC had this to say in a review posted yesterday.

This is the first time Fleming has set her interpretation of Shéhérazade to disc, and it’s been worth the wait. She revels in the storytelling every bit as much as Shéhérazade herself, her warm, voluptuous tones soaring ecstatically up into the most hedonistic climaxes, and carrying effortlessly over the orchestra even when in her softest lower-tessitura pianissimo.

Ravel (1875 – 1937) is well known for his brilliant orchestration. Orchestration is the term used to describe how a composer utilizes the symphony orchestra. When a composer is praised for being a good orchestrator, it means he has combined the instruments in original ways to create interesting colors. Many composers, including Ravel, first sketched their music on the piano. Later they would assign the notes to specific instruments. In 1922 Koussevitsky commissioned Ravel to orchestrate Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which was originally written for solo piano. This is perhaps the best explanation for orchestration and for Ravel’s particular genius.

Listen to the first minute of this version (the original by Mussorgsky) played by pianist Pål Eide.

Now, listen to that same music as orchestrated by Ravel and played Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. This is the version that is most often performed.

Here is a version orchestrated by Leo Funter that puts the first melody in the strings. (Performed by Ashkenazy and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.)

Finally, conductor Leonard Slatkin took this idea of comparing orchestrations to the extreme. He put together performances of Pictures at an Exhibition where each movement was orchestrated by a different composer. Listen to a minute of the first movement, as orchestrated by Lawrence Leonard. The famous trumpet melody is played both by trumpets and the chimes! The chimes adds an interesting color to the trumpet.

What does all this have to do with Renée Fleming? Not much! But, when you enjoy her singing Ravel’s Shéhérazade pay some attention to what is happening in the orchestra behind her. Ravel is sure to surprise with some gorgeous instrumental combinations.

Renée Fleming
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Majestic Theatre
“America’s Beautiful Voice”, soprano Renée Fleming has a devoted international following wherever she appears, whether on the operatic stage, in concert or recital, on television, radio or on disc.
Vogue called Fleming, “the most gorgeous and busiest opera star on the circuit.” The Toronto Globe and Mail said, “Fleming’s lyric soprano has the one thing that every great singer needs, an unmistakable, distinctive, individual timbre. Commanding intelligence and musicianship take the gift even further, allowing her to interpret ad communicate on the highest level.”

Ms. Fleming’s appearance in San Antonio is made possible by a generous grant from the Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts. Additional support for this concert is provided by Carolyn A. Seale and Carol Lee Klose.

For more information about this performance, click here. Call the Symphony box office at (210) 554-1010 or purchase online from Ticketmaster.